Pick Your Poison
by iluvaqt
Summary: On a road-trip to source possible allies against Klaus and Elijah's plans for Elena, Damon finds Chloe Sullivan. One-shot.


**Title:** Pick Your Poison  
**Pairing:** Chloe/Damon  
**Summary**: On a road-trip to source possible allies against Klaus and Elijah's plans for Elena, Damon finds Chloe Sullivan. One-shot.  
**Rating: **PG  
**Word count:** 2263  
**Setting:** Season 7 Smallville, Chloe and Jimmy aren't together. The Vampire Diaries Season 2  
**Fandom:** Smallville/The Vampire Diaries  
**Warnings: **Not beta-ed so mistakes are my own  
**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Chloe noticed this stoic, confident, yet rather out of place young man dressed in dark clothing standing by the carnival stalls and realized that he must be the New Yorker that she was waiting on. He was supposedly their professional critic that Martha and smooth talked into making an appearance at this vital yet little known Organic Farmer's Festival in Smallville. Martha couldn't make it this year, and while Clark was manning their stall, Chloe was left to preside over the Chili Contest which Martha usually did every year.

Shaking her head and how she got roped into doing these things, she sighed. It was the Kent charm. She'd yet to come across anyone who was immune.

"There you are, and not a moment to soon. They're about to start, Chloe Sullivan, by the way, your designated tour guide, concierge and anything else you need while you're here." Chloe watched his lips twitch with a subtle smirk and tried not to visibly roll her eyes. So he was one of those. It was easy to see how he could develop an ego though. He was darkly handsome with that edge of bad boy appeal and he had these very intense blue eyes that seemed to soak in everything with a casual interest yet dare she even muse on it, boredom.

She grabbed the microphone and stopped leading him, smiling widely at the gathering crowed in front of what looked like a judging panel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to introduce, Rico Bonmarito, New York's youngest 3-star Michelin chef."

Damon didn't shock easily, but this girl had just ripped out the rug from under his feet. He'd come here on a lead that a couple years ago a powerful witch had left an aura here, he thought it was worth looking into considering they were trying to build an arsenal and learn more about the older vampires, in the hope of better protecting Elena and themselves when the coming wrath of Klaus landed on their doorstep. He didn't come to draw attention to himself or to impersonate who he was sure was a fabulous chef, he'd been beguiled by her dazzling smile, but now he had to set the record straight, so much for having a little fun with her.

"I'm not Rico, you got the wrong guy," he whispered harshly in her ear.

She froze for a second before giving him a beguiling grin. Pushing him toward the stairs. "I have a feeling he turned his nose up at us, just fake it, please," she said giving him a pleading look, imploring him with those clear, soft green eyes of hers.

He could feel himself caving. He fixed his stare on her, compelling her, his voice low and stern, "Tell these people you're sorry, you made mistake. I'm not Bonmarito."

She blinked, then nodded, and Damon heaved a relieved sigh.

Chloe caught his arm when he tried to walk away. "Wait, what's your name?"

"Damon," he said eying her curiously.

Chloe lifted the microphone to her mouth again. "Sorry folks, a little mix-up. Rico couldn't make it. This is Damon, and he loves food. And he's going to be happy to judge our organic chili contest today."

Damon arched an eyebrow in surprise and then glared at her. He paused for a second contemplating making a break for it, before turning and mounting the stairs being sure to emphasize his anger at her manipulation by channel everything into his stare hoping that for once he could give someone an aneurysm by mimicking the looks Bonny was so fond of giving him. Confounding, infuriating, sprite of a woman. How was she able to shake off his compulsion? Unless she was a vampire or perhaps the witch he was looking for. Scratch having fun with her, or even charming her to working for him, he was going to break her pretty neck.

Chloe resisted the urge to stick her tongue out behind his back. Sure she could have let him go, she could have roped Clark in, left Lois to watch the produce. His cast iron stomach could certainly handle the punishment but Damon had sealed his fate when he'd tried to use his baby blues and playboy smile to manipulate her into doing things his way. Chloe wasn't a push over, and if he'd asked her instead of ordering her to apologize for her mistake, she might have let him off the hook.

Three pots, three tastings and two beers later, Damon could taste the gruel in his stomach threatening to come back up. How on earth did these people think that stuff was fit for human consumption. Seriously, that last lot had to be radioactive. He could have sworn he saw something glowing in that pot.

And he was sweating. Vampires don't sweat. You can make 'em bleed, inflict pain, sever a limb and even kill them but you can't make them sweat, which was interesting because though he'd never admit it, even under pain of death, he could cry.

"Drink," she said sweetly.

Damon glared at her and grabbed her wrist, squeezing until he could feel her bones starting to grind together. "Just you wait, Chloe, you're gonna regret this."

"Oh look, 'Ben Hubbard's Roasted Capsicum Fire Bean Chili'," she said brightly motioning to the plastic bowl that had been placed in front of him.

He glowered at her, but she merely smiled again, nodding at the fact the other judges had already stated tasting the new dish. Pen in hand, he had to remember he couldn't let his frustrations show or the weak plastic would snap and he'd be trying to get ink out of his Calvin Klein jeans for the next week. With great reluctance, he shoved the spoon in his mouth and swallowed so he wouldn't have to taste whatever he was eating longer than he had to. Blinking slowly, he began to see stars. Next thing he knew, he could feel her cool hand worriedly touching his forehead, was the sky spinning?

Chloe loomed over him and he blinked. It felt like he was on the floor and promptly blacked out. When he came to, he was no longer looking at the sky.

"Are you okay?"

Damon sniffed, a gnawing, insatiable thirst tore through his gut and he curled his fingers into the surface beneath him in a vain attempt to keep himself from jackknifing off the gurney and clamping his jaws down on her jugular. He could hear the pounding of her heart, a steady, strong thump, tha-thump and the sweet, delicious scent of her life source calling to him. He stared at her, his eyes narrowing, but she didn't flinch, she didn't back away. He growled. She was far too close.

He could feel the veins in his face rising, his eyes heating, turning black, he forced his eyelids closed. "If you value your life, run."

Chloe saw him trembling, watched the muscles in his neck and arms twitch with the effort it was taking for him to restrain himself. To her horror, she watched as pointed teeth inched over his bottom lip. She felt the instinct to run then. "The medics will be back in a second, I'll stall them..."

Chloe jumped down from he back of the ambulance and slammed the door shut behind her. The medics where attending to the two other judges who were passed out as well. Whatever Hubbard had put in his chili had knocked them all out. The Sheriff was putting it down to food poisoning, possibly bad meat, nobody was game enough to test the theory further. They'd shut down the rest of the chili contest.

One of the medics walked over and saw her standing by the truck. "How's he doing?"

"I think he'll be okay," Chloe stammered. She planted her arm over the door release. "Oh wait, I'd just give him a second too..."

The medic gave her a suspicious look and pulled open the door, ignoring her plea. "I can't leave him in the bus unattended... where did he go?"

Chloe looked over her shoulder and noticed that the back of the ambulance was indeed empty.

"And he's stolen blood bags," the medic exclaimed, turning to Chloe with a harried look. "What did you say his name was again?"

"David, Dean, no Devon... I'm sorry," Chloe said throwing up her hands with a shrug, "I just met him today. I thought he was the judge from New York. Although with the comments he wrote about the chili, I don't think he's a chef. Although maybe swearing is a perquisite for running gourmet kitchens," she add, as her mind projected Gordan Ramsey tearing into his apprentice chefs.

Damon watched from the shrubbery and sagged in relief when she covered for him. She was one strange girl.

Later that afternoon, Chloe threw her keys on the side table and dropped her bags inside the door.

"You didn't react to me the way people normally would," a tenor voice said from the shadows.

Chloe's hand instinctively when to her chest as she startled. "What, trying to eat me in the back there wasn't creepy enough, you thought you'd try again? Get out," she said crossly.

Damon blurred to her and shut the door behind her, pining her between himself and the solid timber. "I don't scare you?"

Chloe blinked up at him, trying to get her racing heartbeat under control. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his face. He had prefect, pale, smooth skin, and a wicked smirk. And his eyes, she could write essays on his eyes. While Clark's were dreamy green-blue, that were full of gentleness and warmth, these were bold, daring, with a hard edge to them. Like he'd endured a lot of pain in his life. Seen things that he'd wished he hadn't, done things that he wished he could take back, but couldn't and they'd made him cold, detached, guarded. He was a blood sucking vamp, she'd been bitten before, you'd think that'd kick her survival instincts into high gear yet here she was almost daring him to get closer. At least she was keeping her hands to herself. She was curious, and dare she admit it, she was attracted to him.

"I excite you," he purred, blowing out a soft puff of air against her throat. He raised his hand and trailed his index finger against the thundering pulse point under her skin. "I can hear how fast your heart is racing, but your eyes say it's a curious thrill not fear that holds you paralyzed. You're a curious creature, Chloe."

"You're not... you're not like vampires I've met before."

Damon laughed. "So you have run into my kind. Explains why you're not surprised but where are your survival instincts."

"Well for one, I'm guessing you'll catch me if I try to run, and you're stronger than me. And I'm getting the impression that you get a kick out playing with your food so I'm not gonna help you out with that."

Damon closed his hand around her throat, putting light pressure. "So scream," he said barely touching his lips to her neck, "call for help."

Chloe's eyelids shuttered and she put her hands flat against the door to keep them from trying to grab him. She wanted him to kiss her properly, but her brain was telling her that was the stupidest thing she could do. Encourage a vampire to kiss her neck.

The door handle jiggled, and Damon gave it a distasteful glance.

"Chloe," Clark's voice filtered through. "The door's locked."

"Boyfriend?" Damon asked giving her a piercing look. Chloe shook her head and he grinned. "I'd say it's been a pleasure but you tried to poison me. Try not to get yourself killed, Sullivan."

And in a flash, he was gone. Chloe held her hand to her chest trying to calm her racing heartbeat. Damn it If he wasn't the sexiest, most dangerous man she'd ever met. She was disappointed in herself that she was actually saddened by the idea that she'd never see him again. If she told anyone what had happened today, they'd send her back to Belle Reeve so fast it'd make her head spin. And she wouldn't even be sure Clark would rescue her this time, probably convinced that if there really were more vampires around that she'd be safer there.

The door rattled again. "Chloe, I know you're in there and who were you just talking to?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and mentally prepared herself to lie convincingly. Between Clark, Lana and her father, she'd had a lot of practice. None of them really seemed to be able to handle the truth about what went on in her head.

Seriously, she really had the worst taste in men.

Damon watched from the street through her window as she busily fluttered about the room, possibly trying to subtly get her giant of a friend to leave. He hadn't given her the impression that he'd ever return but he would. Maybe not tonight, or even the next day but some day soon. She'd intrigued him - her curiosity, the way his body responded to hers as readily as hers did to his, her lack of fear and most of all, how she'd been able to resist his attempt to compel her. Not being able to assert control over one tiny human female, that was enough to seal her fate. Chloe Sullivan officially had the interest of Damon Salvatore.


End file.
